Fisher



March 31, 1.964 R. FISHER 3,127,146

SHELF SUPPORTS AND THE LIKE Filed May 14, 1962 \NVENTOR ROBERT FISHER Y W aw! ijm'lzg ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,127,146 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 3,127,146 SHELF SUPPORTS AND THE LIKE Robert Fisher, 24 Burroughs Road, Balwyn, Victoria, Australia Filed May 14, 1962, Ser. No. 195,670 6 Claims. (ill. 248-250) The present invention relates to shelf or other supports having means whereby a shelf or the like may be detachably connected thereto.

Although in no way limited to use therewith it will be convenient to describe the present invention in connection with a supporting member in the form of a so-called shelf support. Such a supporting member may be provided at one end with means for detachably connecting it to an upstanding post or the like in cantilever fashion so that it presents a substantially horizontal upper edge for carrying a shelf. The connecting means may be in the form of vertically spaced hook-like projections adapted for engagement with shoulders or the like adjacent corresponding spaced slots provided in the upstanding post. A series of such spaced slots may be provided whereby any one of a number of vertically spaced operative positions may be chosen.

Hitherto, in order to provide means for detachably connecting a shelf to such a supporting member it has been provided at its upper edge with an integral laterally projecting flange such that the supporting member is in effect substantially L-shaped in cross-section. The laterally projecting flange may be provided with a series of apertures adapted to receive bolts or screws, for example, whereby the shelf may be connected to the supporting member.

It will be appreciated that the aforesaid flange may project in either of two directions each of which may beseparately desirable depending on the location and specific use for which the supporting member is intended. As a result it is necessary to manufacture so-called rightand left-hand models to satisfy these requirements.

It will also be understood that an L-shaped supporting member presents difficulties in packing, storing and transport; and the fact that these components need to be ordered in either leftor right-hand models presents further obvious problems.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved shelf support or the like in which the aforementioned difficulties are either eliminated entirely or at least reduced to a minimum.

The improved shelf support is of particularly simple design, is inexpensive to manufacture and may easily be assembled even by an unskilled person.

A shelf support in accordance with the present invention includes a supporting member of at least partly platelike formation provided with at least one slot spaced from one edge thereof by a spacing web, an anchoring element composed of resilient material for detachable connection to said supporting member and provided with means for detachably connecting a shelf thereto, said anchoring element being of substantially L shape in crosssection so as to form a locating flange which bears on one face of said spacing web and an overhanging flange which overlies the free edge of the spacing web remote from said slot, means on said locating flange which passes through said slot and opposes tilting of the anchoring element in relation to said supporting member and locking means on said overhanging flange for retaining said anchoring element in the desired operative position by resiliently engaging the opposite faces of said spacing web.

In order to more fully describe the invention reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an anchoring element.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, partly sectioned view showing a shelf connected by means of anchoring elements to a foreshortened supporting member which in turn is connected to part of an upstanding post.

FIGURE 3 is a section on enlarged scale on the line III-III of FIGURE 2.

An improved shelf support in accordance with the present invention includes a supporting member 1 which, as shown, is connected to an upstanding post 2 or the like by means of a pair of hook-like projections 3 engaging the shoulders of cooperating spaced slots 4. The supporting member 1 is of substantially plate-like formation and provided with one or more slots 6 spaced from its upper edge 7 by means of a substantially parallel sided spacing web 8. Each slot is preferably rectangular so as to extend lengthwise of the supporting member.

Associated with the foregoing is at least one anchoring element 9 adapted for detachable connection to the supporting member 4 and provided with means for detachably connecting a shelf thereto.

The anchoring element is preferably composed of spring steel and includes a body portion of substantially L-shape in cross-section having a locating flange 11 which is adapted to bear on one face of the spacing web and an overhanging flange 12 adapted to overlie the edge of the spacing web remote from the slot.

The overhanging flange 12 projects laterally at substantially right angles in relation to the supporting memher and means for preventing tilting of the anchoring element are provided to ensure that the overhanging flange is retained in its operative position. The last mentioned means is preferably in the form of a bearing flange 13 offset in relation to the locating flange by a connecting web 14 capable of passing through one of said slots 6.

The bearing flange 13 is substantially parallel to the locating flange 11 and adapted to bear on that face of the supporting member remote from the locating flange. For this purpose the distance between the inner faces of the bearing and locating flanges is substantially the same as the thickness of the plate-like supporting member and in addition the width of the connecting web is preferably only slightly less than the length of each said slot in order to prevent lengthwise displacement of the anchoring element.

It will of course be appreciated that the bearing flange must be of such dimensions as to extend beyond the confines of the slot so that it may bear against the support ing element to perform its designed function of preventing tilting.

The connecting web should merge with the locating flange at a distance from the overhanging flange substantially identical to the Width of each spacing web in the supporting member, whereby the bearing flange may be operatively positioned through one of said slots after which the overhanging flange may be sprung into engagement over the opposite edge of the web. With such an arrangement undesirable lifting of the overhanging flange is reduced to a minimum.

In order to resist unintentional displacement of the anchoring element from its operative position the overhanging flange is provided with locking means preferably in the form of one or more lugs 16 expressed therefrom in such a fashion that the free end 1-7 of each lug is spaced from the locating flange a distance substantially identical with the thickness of the plate-like supporting member. When the overhanging flange is sprung into position each lug and the bearing flange cooperate to lock the anchoring elements in its operative position.

The overhanging flange 1-2 extends beyond the supporting member to form a terminal end portion 18 which is provided with any suitable means for connecting a shelf thereto. Such connectingrneans may for example be in the form of an aperture 19 adapted to receive a bolt or screw 21.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that a shelf support in accordance with this invention may be readily packaged, transported and ordered, because the supporting member is of simple plate-like formation and the anchoring element may be used in the form of either a left or right-hand model.

Furthermore the anchoring elements may be easily manufactured from a ribbon of spring steel and it is unnecessary to provide an integral flange on the supporting member thereby simplifying its production.

Throughout the foregoing description it has been convenient to refer specifically to the application of the invention to shelf supports, but it is to be understood that the invention is applicable generally to shop fittings and other uses where connection to a plate-like supporting member is required.

In addition it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated in the foregoing without departing from the ambit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shelf support including a supporting member of at least partly plate-like formation provided with at least one slot spaced from one edge thereof by a spacing web, an anchoring element composed of resilient material for detachable connection to said supporting member and provided with means for detachably connecting a shelf thereto, said anchoring element 'being of substantially L shape in cross-section so as to form a locating flange which bears on one face of said spacing web and an overhanging flange which overlies the free edge of the spacing web remote from said slot, means on said locating flange which passes through said slot and oppose tilting of the anchoring element in relation to said supporting member, and locking means on said overhanging flange for retaining said achoring element in the desired operative position by resiliently engaging the opposite faces of said spacing web.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said tilt opposing means consists of a bearing flange off-set in rel-ation to said locating flange by a connecting web capable of passing through said slot, the distance between the inner faces of said locating and bearing flanges being substantially the same as the thickness of said supporting member, said bearing flange engaging that face of the supporting member remote from the side engaged by the locating flange and also at that side of the slot remote from said spacing web.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said over hanging flange extends laterally beyond said supporting member so as to provide a terminal end portion which carries said detachable connecting means for said shelf.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said locking means consists of at least one lug expressed from said overhanging flange in such a manner that the free end of each said lug is spaced from said locating flange for a distance substantially identical with the thickness of said spacing web.

5. An anchoring element for a shelf support and which is composed of resilient material of substantially L shaped formation in cross-section so as to form a locating flange and an overhanging flange provided with means for detachably connecting a shelf thereto, said locating flange having an associated bearing flange which is offset in relation thereto so as to lie beneath said overhanging flange, said locating and bearing flanges being interconnected by a connecting web and at least one lug expressed from said overhanging flange towards said bearing flange so as to provide a free end on each said lug which is spaced from the adjacent inner face of said locating flange.

6. A shelf support including a supporting member which is in the form of an elongated metal stampingof substantially plate-like formation, having a straight upper edge, said supporting member being provided with at least one slot spaced from said straight upper edge by a spacing web, an anchoring element composed of resilient material detachably connected to said supporting member, said anchoring element being of substantially L-shape in cross-section so as to form a locating flange which bears on one face of said spacing web and an overhanging flange which overlies the free edge of the spacing web remote from said slot extending laterally therebeyond so as to provide a terminal end portion which carries means for detachably connecting a shelf thereto, a bearing flange offset in relation to said locating flange by a connecting web capable of passing through said slot, the distance between the inner faces of said locating and bearing flanges being substantially the same as the thickness of said supporting member, said bearing flange engaging that face of the supporting member remote from the side engaged by the locating flange and aslo at that side of the slot remote from said spacing web and at least one lug expressed from said overhanging flange in such a manner that the free end of each said l-ug is spaced from said locating flange for a distance substantially identical with the thickness of said spacing web, each said lug serving to retain anchoring element in the desired operative position by resiliently engaging that face of the spacing web remote from said locating flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,891,680 'MacAleese June 23, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 96,259 Norway Apr. 30, 1960 

1. A SHELF SUPPORT INCLUDING A SUPPORTING MEMBER OF AT LEAST PARTLY PLATE-LIKE FORMATION PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE SLOT SPACED FROM ONE EDGE THEREOF BY A SPACING WEB, AN ANCHORING ELEMENT COMPOSED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL FOR DETACHABLE CONNECTION TO SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING A SHELF THERETO, SAID ANCHORING ELEMENT BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY L SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTION SO AS TO FORM A LOCATING FLANGE WHICH BEARS ON ONE FACE OF SAID SPACING WEB AND AN OVERHANGING FLANGE WHICH OVERLIES THE FREE EDGE OF THE SPACING WEB REMOTE FROM SAID SLOT, MEANS ON SAID LOCATING FLANGE WHICH PASSES THROUGH SAID SLOT AND OPPOSE TILTING OF THE ANCHORING ELEMENT IN RELATION TO SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND LOCKING MEANS ON SAID OVERHANGING FLANGE FOR RETAINING SAID ACHORING ELEMENT IN THE DESIRED OPERATIVE POSITION BY RESILIENTLY ENGAGING THE OPPOSITE FACES OF SAID SPACING WEB. 